A drama unfolded in Malda town on Tuesday morning when an ambulance arrived with the body of a migrant worker from Hyderabad, with his family being oblivious to his death.

Soon after reaching Madhabnagar-Nimtala, a locality in ward 1 of Englishbazar municipality, the driver fled the spot after abandoning the ambulance when the deceased person’s family members started questioning him.

A team from the Englishbazar police station reached the spot. They are searching for the driver and a labour contractor in connection with the case.

Sources said Jagannath Choudhury, 40, had left for Hyderabad around four months back as Tapesh Mondal, a labour contractor based in the Manikchak area of the district, offered him a job.

Choudhury has his wife, Anjali and their two minor daughters at home.

“My husband was feeling unwell for some days and wanted to return home. However, he was not allowed to come home. This morning, we saw an ambulance parked in front of our house, and the driver was bringing out my husband’s body. We had no information about his death. When we tried to speak with the driver, he abandoned the vehicle and left the spot,” said the bereaved wife.

“We suspect that he has been murdered in Hyderabad and an attempt was made to somehow leave his body here.”

The police said later in the day that the family had arranged the last rites of Choudhury.